Shattered Hopes
by whisperasweknowit
Summary: SkyClan have reached the forest, but where are the Clans? The 5th Clan is thrown into peril as their plan failed. They set off to find the Clans in their new home, but their path may be blocked by an enemy within seeking to destroy. BLAZING DESIRE BOOK 2
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. 'Book' two~ :D Allegiances at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

"What?" Ravenstar questioned, leaping towards the group of four cats. Scorchpaw watched as they all shrunk back as one, clearly terrified of what the huge black tom might do. "What do you mean _not here? _They have to be! They live here!"

"T-they don't," Fawnstep stammered.

"There is absolutely no scent of cat anywhere," Creekstone put in lightly.

Ravenstar visibly deflated. "They _have_ to be here. They just have to be…"

Tawnythroat moved over to stand beside her mate, resting her sandy-colored tail on his large black shoulder. Willowmist, who had gone to look for the Clans, was looking at her father with what looked to be tears in her eyes. Scorchpaw found this a shock, since Willowmist was usually quite bubbly.

The black tom near shoved his mate away. Scorchpaw thought for a moment he spotted angry tears in her eyes, but he quickly decided it must have been a trick of the light. This was _Ravenstar_ he was talking about. He knew how to handle everything.

Didn't he?

Scorchpaw watched as the tom squared his shoulders carefully, standing as tall as he could—mind you, it was pretty tall. The cats of SkyClan stepped back mechanically, intimidated. Ravenstar didn't seem to mind the fact that his Clan was terrified of him. In fact, he almost looked like he wanted to entertain their fears. He bared his teeth in frustration, letting out a hiss before turning to face them.

"The Clans have gone," he growled. "And we are left on our own again. Where we are going next, I don't know. Any other brilliant ideas?" he hissed, clearly irritated that he had led his Clan wrong.

"Why don't we just make a home here?" Lionpaw piped up.

Ravenstar gave the dark golden cat a look that screamed '_stupid tom_.' However, it was apparent that the leader knew better than to insult an apprentice. He already wasn't looking to good in the eyes of his Clan. Or, at least, that's what he thought.

"There is obviously a reason the Clan's left," Ravenstar explained, looking like he was trying very hard to not lash out at the small cat.

"Maybe they didn't leave!" Copperspots suggested.

"So you're saying they just vanished into thin air?" Ravenstar scoffed. "As if."

"Well, what if they were wiped out by something?" Jayspots added.

"Yes, let's live here so we can be destroyed, too," Ravenstar meowed sarcastically. "_Brilliant_, really."

Scorchpaw could tell cats were running out of ideas. "What are we supposed to do?" he questioned. "Go after them _again_? How would we find them?

"What if there are cats living nearby who knew where they went?" Cloud-dew asked.

"Unlikely," Ravenstar put in. "The nearest cats are probably kittypets, and I doubt they're know anything."

A sigh sounded beside Scorchpaw. She turned to see Meadowpaw looking depressed. Her light brown shoulders were hunched, her usually bright green eyes large and sad. "What's up?" he asked, feeling generous.

"I'm just sick of this," Meadowpaw groaned. "Why does finding a home have to be so _difficult_?" she complained.

"I don't know," Scorchpaw sympathized, surprising himself. "I just don't know. But whining about it won't change anything," he added quietly. He was confused. The she-cat was usually so bubbly and optimistic. Now she just seemed depressed.

"I know," Meadowpaw sighed. "But what good is bickering about it, either?"

"They're not…_bickering_. They're…suggesting things." _Badly._

Meadowpaw sighed again. "I wonder if StarClan has spoken with Fawnstep," she trailed off.

"I doubt it. She would have told us, I'm sure of it," Scorchpaw decided.

The brown apprentice looked doubtful, but Scorchpaw didn't pursue the subject. He felt the strong urge to comfort him somehow, though. He just didn't know how. He stood by awkwardly before nuzzling her hesitantly. He heard her purr and knew he had done well.

**ALLEGIANCES**

SkyClan

**Leader:** Ravenstar- Huge black tom with scary dark blue eyes

**Apprentice: Spiderpaw**

**Deputy:** Creekstone- Dark golden tom with icy blues

**Apprentice: Spottedpaw**

**Medicine Cat:** Fawnstep- Light brown she-cat with flecks of white on her back and flanks; brown eyes

**Apprentice: Thymepaw**

**Medicine Cat Apprentice:** Thymepaw- Small, cream-colored tom with piercing dark green eyes

**Warriors:** Willowmist- Small, pretty silver-brown she-cat with soft green eyes

**Apprentice: Meadowpaw**

Bristlehaze- Large sandy-colored tom with faint ginger stripes and dark blue eyes

**Apprentice: Puddlepaw**

Sagepatch- Small light gray she-cat with black patches on her back and green eyes.

Copperspots- Sleek black she-cat with sandy flecks on her back; ice blue eyes

Thornstrike- Large dark brown tom with dark amber eyes

Tawnythroat- Sandy-colored she-cat with a darker patch of tawny on her throat and chest; green eyes

**Apprentice: Scorchpaw**

Jayspots- Bright silver tom with two splotches of black on his back; dark blue eyes

Aspenfrost- Large white tom with two splashes of black on his back; has a black paw and ear; green eyes.

Smokestripe- Large smoky-gray tom with a wide stripe of white across his back; dark blue eyes

**Apprentice: Lionpaw**

Darkmoon- Off-white-colored tom with dark blue eyes

**Apprentice: Mistpaw**

Cloud-dew- Small white she-cat with sparkling blue eyes

**Apprentice: Creampaw**

**Apprentices:** Meadowpaw- Light brown she-cat with a white chest and paws; green eyes

**Mentor: Willowmist**

Creampaw- Pure white she-cat with dark amber eyes

**Mentor: Cloud-dew**

Scorchpaw- Dark reddish-brown tom with dark amber eyes

**Mentor: Tawnythroat**

Thymepaw- Small, cream-colored tom with piercing dark green eyes

**Mentor: Fawnstep**

Meadowpaw- Fluffy gray she-cat with ice blue eyes

**Mentor: Bristlehaze**

Mistpaw- Skinny black she-cat with green eyes

**Mentor: Darkmoon**

Spottedpaw- Tortishell she-cat with amber eyes

**Mentor: Thornstrike**

Lionpaw- Fluffy dark golden tom with green eyes

**Mentor: Smokestripe**

Spiderpaw- Black tom with one green eye and one blue eye

**Mentor: Ravenstar**

**Queens:** None

**Kits:** None

**Elders:** Smudgenose- Pure white tom with a spot of black on/around his nose; blue eyes

Gingerflight- Ginger she-cat with dark amber eyes

**A.N. Sorry for the short chapter. It's sort of like a prologue, if you will. So…it has a right to be short, right?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. To the handful of you who read Chapter 1: I made a huge screw up. This fic is from Scorchpaw's POV, so you may want to re-read that part if you want the names right and such. DX Sorry. It's all edited now, though, so on with **_**Scorchpaw's**_** story.**

Ravenstar cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to gain the attention of the despaired cats around him. He appeared to Scorchpaw like he was rather embarrassed of the scene he had created earlier, and he was afraid of making a further fool of himself. He cleared his throat again. Scorchpaw kept his dark amber gaze firmly on him.

Slowly, the cats of SkyClan turned their heads to show their attention to the black tom. Each cat went at a different time, causing a few minutes to be spent on simply giving their attention to Ravenstar. Once everyone was listening, Ravenstar began to speak.

"As you have all heard, the Clans appear to be gone. Our troop of fours cats did not search the entire forest, but enough to know that there is no sign of Clans here. I have decided, however, that the Clan as a whole will hold a thorough search of the entire territory so I can decide whether or not we will stay here or continue on our journey."

Scorchpaw nodded in quiet agreement. A few cats let out yowls of approval.

"So it's settled. We will divide into four groups. We will all travel to the heart of the land before splitting off to search one territory per group."

The leader went on to create groups. Ravenstar was to lead Spiderpaw, Puddlepaw, Bristlehaze, Jayspots, and Aspenfrost. Creekstone had Spottedpaw, Scorchpaw, Tawnythroat, Fawnstep, and Copperspots. Willowmist was leading Meadowpaw, Thymepaw, Sagepatch, Thornstrike, and Creampaw. Lastly, Smokestripe was in charge of Lionpaw, Mistpaw, and Darkmoon. Cloud-dew was to stay behind with Smudgenose and Gingerflight. Both the elders badly needed rest, and clearly Cloud-dew did, too, since she volunteered to stay behind.

All four groups set off. They continued to follow the river. They slowly traveled away from the loud twoleg place. It was when they reached a large, sunny outcropping of rocks that Scorchpaw began to suspect that something was wrong. A wide thunderpath cut straight through the forest, leading towards the place full of log eating monsters. Monsters whizzed by every now and then towards the place. Scorchpaw wrinkled his nose in disgust. _Who would want to live _here? He wondered.

After passing the rocks, they soon had to half-wade-half-swim across an overflowing branch of the river they had been following. The dark ginger tom's paws barely grazed the bottom of the stream for most of the crossing, and Scorchpaw emerged soaked and shivering. He looked around to see that most of the other cats felt similarly about the water.

Scorchpaw was not in a good mood, to put it lightly. He was in a worse mood than usual, which was a dangerous stretch. He was soaked, he was cold, it was loud, and the air smelled foul. He trudged along reluctantly, wishing he could be back in the gorge where SkyClan truly belonged.

It was when they reached a crowded, round stretch of thunderpath that drove Scorchpaw close to a distraught rage. Monsters were roaring towards the circle constantly, entering and then exiting through one of the three other paths. Scorchpaw's head was beginning to throb from the noise and fumes.

He spotted large expanses of gray thunderpath on one side of the circle. Behind that were a plethora of tall twoleg nests. Monsters were standing all over the asphalt, twolegs walking in and out of the dens. He faintly smelled twoleg food over the fumes of the monsters. The tom felt like he was going to faint.

"Ravenstar!" Fawnstep meowed urgently. "We mustn't continue."

"Why not?" Ravenstar questioned. "I want to know why the Clans left!"

"Don't you see?" The medicine cat pleaded. "The twolegs destroyed their land by building more thunderpaths. This is no environment for a cat to live in!"

Ravenstar lowered his head. "I-I know. I just thought there might be hope," he mumbled. "Let's go back."

Scorchpaw was perfectly fine with heading back to the three cats who had stayed behind. He practically led the way, which was quite astonishing, only faltering when they had to cross the stream again. The water was just barely too big for him to jump it, and he envied the warriors who did jump across. He swam across with his jaws clamped shut, just wanting it to be over.

The walk back was hardly nicer than the walk there. Scorchpaw's head was pounding, he was tired, and his pelt was steadily heating up in the strong sunshine, especially since it was dark. He had to sprint across the outcropping of rocks, which were burning under his pads. The rest of the way was a blur to him—he was nearly asleep.

When the large troop of cats reached Smudgenose, Gingerflight, and Cloud-dew, Scorchpaw flopped down gratefully on the grass. He closed her eyes, but the pounding in his head kept him from sleep. He sat up with a huff, watching the Clan with harsh amber eyes, which were smoldering with more anger than normally. The walk had put him in a terrible mood.

"What happened?" Smudgenose meowed.

"We think we figured out what drove the clans away," Fawnstep told him. "There's an excessive amount of thunderpaths out there, and we think the twolegs may have destroyed they're camps with their nests and thunderpaths."

"So what are we going to do?" Gingerflight asked.

Fawnstep shrugged. "As long as we're not staying here, I am fine."

Scorchpaw felt the need to nod in agreement, even though the medicine cat wasn't talking to him and wasn't paying the slightest attention to him. He soon had a cat worth paying attention to, though, as Ravenstar yowled for attention. The ginger tom looked up at the leader, expectance glimmering in his eyes.

"The Clans are definitely gone," Ravenstar announced. _We already know this_, Scorchpaw complained inwardly.

"It is suspected that twolegs drove them away with their developments," he continued.

_It isn't suspected, that is what happened. Unless you have another idea._

"The only logical thing to do is to further pursue the Clans. We will not make a home here—it wasn't fit for them, and we won't settle for leftovers."

_I'm sure there are many other logical things that wouldn't result in more weariness and death, but I suppose you are leader_, Scorchpaw scowled.

"We will leave at dawn tomorrow."

Looking up at the sky, Scorchpaw realized with a smile that it was not even close to sundown. A nice long break was exactly what he needed as soon as he sought herbs from Fawnstep.

"Fawnstep?" He asked sweetly.

"Yes?" The brown she-cat responded, distress creeping into her voice.

"I've got a heada-"

"Say no more," Fawnstep dismissed. "Many cats do. Thymepaw went out to fetch some feverfew and thyme…ah, there he is!" She mewed happily, padding over to the cream-colored cat and taking the herbs from him.

"Eat these," she instructed, pushing the plants towards him. "One will calm you down, and the other is good for fever which is associated with headache. That's the best I can do for you."

Scorchpaw nodded gratefully, lapping up the herbs before moving to the shade of the trees and drifting off into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Scorchpaw opened his eyes, lifting his head lazily to look at the sky. It was still dark. Even if he craned his neck as far as he could, he couldn't see a single hint of the sun over the trees that were still standing. The dark ginger tom stretched his jaws into a relaxed yawn, feeling content with his sleep. The pounding in his head at subsided, and he was in a rather good mood. Scorchpaw was about to try and catch a few more hours of sleep when he heard a quiet sniffle nearby.

_Ignore it,_ he urged himself. _It's too early to deal with these cats_. Scorchpaw tried his hardest to ignore the muffled tears, willing himself to sleep. But as another headache threatened, he gave up. Focusing his eyes on the spot where the noise was sounding from, he spotted a light brown she-cat with a white chest, white underbelly, white paws, and white tail tip. She had her head buried in her paws, and the quiet sniffles split the silence every now and then.

Sighing, Scorchpaw got to his paws. He had grown up with the she-cat, and he knew enough about her to know that this was not normal behavior for Meadowpaw. The she-cat was usually optimistic and bubbly, even after the death of her only sibling, Cedarpaw. She didn't look up as Scorchpaw approached.

"Something wrong?" He asked, somewhat gently.

Meadowpaw looked up. Scorchpaw tried not to focus on the tears in her gentle green eyes. They were large and brimming with water. Her nose was running slightly, and she looked like she hadn't slept very much. "I'm fine," she mumbled.

"No, you're not," Scorchpaw told her. "You've been sniveling all morning, and I am definitely not looking forward to starting the journey in a bad mood."

"Sorry," Meadowpaw retorted, sniffling.

"What is wrong?" The tom persisted.

"Nothing you'll care about," she mewed.

"I asked, didn't I?" Scorchpaw responded, an edge of impatience in his voice.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Just tell me what is wrong," Scorchpaw cried, no doubt waking up a couple warriors.

_StarClan, why is she making this so difficult?_

_You should've left her alone, _a voice sang in his mind.

_Don't remind me_, he thought angrily.

"I'm just tired of all of this," Meadowpaw moaned.

"Tired of what?" Scorchpaw prompted. He was determined to get a straight answer out of the miserable she-cat even if it took all morning. He fixed his amber eyes on her, hoping that they looked less harsh than usual.

"O-of…_this_," she cried. Obviously the ditz was having trouble describing what was going on. Scorchpaw let out a sigh. He figured that she meant the traveling, but that sounded a little weird.

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked yet again. His nerves were beginning to get the better of him, and he hoped that she would respond before he lashed out at her.

"E-everything."

_Don't tell me you're suicidal_, Scorchpaw said inwardly. "Everything meaning what?" _She must think you're so slow._

"J-just…all this loss. Traveling. Depression…" Meadowpaw whispered.

_You act like you're the only one, honey._

"I'm sure many cats feel the same way," Scorchpaw mewed sort of gently. He felt the urge to rest his ginger tail on her brown shoulder, so he did. He was afraid she would flinch and pull away from the action, but she didn't. Scorchpaw felt a rush of relief. He didn't think he'd make it this far without exploding.

"I 'spose…" Meadowpaw echoed doubtfully. "It's just unfair, I guess, that we have to go through all this. SkyClan gets all the crap."

"Hey, the other four had their share," Scorchpaw offered. "They had to abandon their home, too."

"Yeah, but I'm sure they found a new one on their first try," the she-cat spat bitterly.

"You never know," Scorchpaw shrugged. _I'm being much too optimistic…_

"Where's StarClan?" Meadowpaw asked suddenly. "Like, why aren't they helping us? I'm sure the other Clans had help."

"How do you know?" Scorchpaw inquired. "Maybe they had it just as hard as we do. Maybe they had it worse. Maybe they never found a new home and had to split up. We never heard of the forest being destroyed, and we don't know the story. Maybe we'll never know…"

"Don't say that!" Meadowpaw cried.

_What did I do?_ "Er, don't say what?"

"Don't say we'll never find them!"

_Sudden change of heart, eh? What happened to 'I'm so sick of this blah blah blah?' Now we're being cheery, aren't we?_ "Well, maybe we won't," Scorchpaw meowed.

"Don't say that!" Meadowpaw repeated, tears spilling over.

_I'm so bad at this, _Scorchpaw thought with a malicious chuckle. "It's true," he said simply.

"But don't say it!"

"Why not?" Scorchpaw questioned, beginning to lose it. "Hiding from the truth isn't going to change anything. If anything, it'll make it worse when you finally choose to show yourself to the ugly truth that is _life_. You cannot hide from life. You have to face it. If that means sadness, screw it. If that means peril, screw it. If that means you've got to get off your behind and try a second time, _screw it_. You've got to do it no matter _what_, and you're going to have to live with that fact."

_You went too far_, a voice informed him.

_Shut it, I'll fix it, _He retorted.

Before the voice could respond again, Meadowpaw was bawling.

_Good one._

"Uh, er, I, uh, um," Scorchpaw babbled. "Please don't cry."

Meadowpaw drew in a deep, shuddering breath. "I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean…I-I…sorry," she rambled. "D-don't mind me."

Scorchpaw couldn't believe it when he felt the strongest wave of affection he had ever experienced. And towards Meadowpaw, a she-cat he had hardly ever spoken to. He lifted his tail from her shoulder, resting his head their instead. "I'm sorry," he murmured smoothly into her ear.

Before either could continue, they heard a loud yowl.

It was dawn.

**A.N. Short, sorry. :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. The last chapter was embarrassingly short. To compensate, this one has turned out tediously long. ^^**

Scorchpaw turned to glare at Ravenstar. The tom was standing regally on a boulder beside the river, acting like he was king of anything. Yeah, he was leader, but he was a little too arrogant for the dark ginger tom's liking. _I'd be a much better leader_, he thought importantly.

"It is dawn," Ravenstar began. _No, really?_ Scorchpaw sneered in his mind.

"As I promised, we will begin our next journey today to try and find the Clans once more."

Before Scorchpaw could make another silent mark, Sagepatch leapt up beside Ravenstar. "I've got an announcement," she rushed out, looking apologetically at her leader. The large black tom nodded, signifying that she could speak.

"I-I was talking with Fawnstep last night and…I'm pregnant!" She squealed.

_You're acting quite childish_, Scorchpaw reprimanded. No one else seemed to care, though. SkyClan was cheering for the veteran queen. Creekstone was standing with his chest puffed out, eyes shining. _You got a cat pregnant, chill,_ Scorchpaw thought cruelly. He had an obvious change of heart now that he was done dealing with Meadowpaw.

"How far along are you?" Copperspots mewed excitedly.

"Any day now. I can't believe no one noticed!" Sagepatch sang.

Scorchpaw looked the queen up and down. She didn't really look much more plump than usual. Maybe he was too used to how she looked when she was bursting with kits. He supposed everyone was just too used to her carrying kits to notice it anymore. Or maybe she was only having one kit. _Good, we don't need something ailing us,_ Scorchpaw thought, spitting on the ground. He looked at Ravenstar with disgust as he congratulated the light gray she-cat.

When to commotion died down, Ravenstar cleared his throat loudly. Scorchpaw glared at him with his cold amber eyes, but the leader didn't notice him. "Without further ado, let the journey begin!" _You're not announcing a contest—chill out,_ Scorchpaw imagined himself telling Ravenstar, rolling his eyes. He stayed back as the Clan bounded after their leader, taking up the rear. Scorchpaw distanced himself from the group, not wanting to be bothered by the mousebrains among the group. He noted that Meadowpaw was looking happier, and he didn't really feel obliged to do much.

The tom was not looking forward to the day ahead. He had ended up feeling quite foul after the last expedition through the twoleg developments, and he wasn't too keen to go through that again. He was glad that at least the stone weren't as hot as they had been the previous day. He trotted easily across them, careful not to pass the people who were having more trouble leaping from rock to rock.

When they reached the edge of the loud thunderpath, Scorchpaw attempted to shut out the noise and smell. He flattened his ears to his head, only breathing when necessary and keeping his mouth clamped shut. The precautions didn't help much, and it was safe to say that he was ready to snap after crossing the stream.

They soon reached the circular thunderpath. Ravenstar, who had been walking importantly, faltered. They hadn't passed this point before. They knew they'd have to cross the path that lead towards the cluster of dens and enter the large expanse of asphalt. Luckily it was still fairly earlier. There were fewer monsters than there had been the day before.

Ravenstar was giving instructions to Creekstone, who was nodding every few words. "Right then," the deputy announced. "Ravenstar will go first with Smudgenose. Mentors will cross with their apprentices. Jayspots will cross with Gingerflight. All other warriors can cross whenever there is an opening."

Scorchpaw quickly moved to stand by his mentor, Tawnythroat. The large sandy-colored she-cat rested her tail reassuringly on his shoulder, and he seriously debated pulling away. This wasn't the first time he had crossed a thunderpath. He really didn't need her 'moral support.' He let her keep her tail on his shoulder, though, simply because he knew the heartbreak she had experienced.

He watched as Ravenstar stood poised at the edge of the thunderpath that branched off from the circle with Smudgenose looking determined at his side. A monster whizzed by, and then the leader and elder took off. The crossed safely, moving to a row of bushes at the edge of the lot of monsters outside the complex. Jayspots followed with Gingerflight, getting the elders out of the way.

A handful of warriors crossed next. Sagepatch crossed with Copperspots, followed by Thornstrike. Next, Willowmist crossed with Meadowpaw. The light brown she-cat was looking worse again, clearly affected by the atmosphere. Scorchpaw allowed a quiet sigh. He would be glad when this was all over simply because he couldn't stand to see the she-cat so out of character. He missed Bristlehaze and Smokestripe crossing with Puddlepaw and Lionpaw. Tawnythroat moved to stand at the edge of the path, and Scorchpaw followed suit.

"Wait," she instructed as a monster approached. _I'm not stupid, _Scorchpaw retorted silently.

The monster flew by and Scorchpaw took off across the path. His paws drummed rhythmically on the hard ground. He heard another monster drawing near and put on a burst of speed. He wasn't going to end up like Beetlepaw. Scorchpaw reached the bushes and ducked underneath, hearing Tawnythroat arrive behind him. Thymepaw arrived soon with Fawnstep.

"Hi," the cream-colored tom greeted Scorchpaw.

Scorchpaw sighed. He was never fond of either of his siblings. Creampaw was a complete ditz and quite irritating to be around. Thymepaw took great pleasure in helping people, but he had terrible mood swings. To avoid one of those, Scorchpaw grunted a hello before turning to watch the rest of the cats cross.

Mistpaw and Darkmoon raced across, followed closely by Cloud-dew and Creampaw. Scorchpaw ignored his sister's greeting entirely. The she-cat was used to it by now, and he knew she would hardly remember it in a few hours. Aspenfrost appeared, tailed by Creekstone and Spottedpaw. Surveying the group crowded in the row of bushes, Scorchpaw decided that it looked like everyone had crossed. He turned to Ravenstar for further instructions.

"As you can see, the river was left intact, being in a gorge bordering the nests," Ravenstar meowed. "We will follow the gorge." He pointed with his tail to the gate bordered by more bushes that ran along the edge. "We will stay on the side with the bushes to that we don't loose any more cats who may fall. We'll stay single-file so we will have a smaller chance of being spotted by twolegs. Ok?"

SkyClan murmured half-hearted chants of 'ok.' Scorchpaw could tell they were already being worn down. He couldn't really blame them. The sun was rising steadily, warming them up to an uncomfortable level. The air was insufficient, and Ravenstar was treating them like kits. Ravenstar didn't take notice of their lack of enthusiasm and started down the row of bushes lining the fence. Scorchpaw waited patiently until everyone else had followed, taking up the rear.

The complex was huge. They followed the fence along the tall dens until past sunhigh, walking gratefully in the large shadows of the twolegplace. Eventually, the dens ended. The cats pulled away from under the bushes and padded along the deserted grass in the shadows of the place. Here they traveled for an amount equal to the time they had spent on the fence. Scorchpaw was careful to stay away from the last cats in the group, not wanting to pass anyone. Again, he was definitely not in the mood for conversation, and it was likely for Thymepaw or Creampaw to discover him if he stayed among the Clan.

It was long past sunhigh when SkyClan reached the end of the humongous cluster of twoleg dens and found themselves in a think patch of trees. The scent of mice was strong in the air, and Scorchpaw's stomach grumbled loudly. He was glad to be behind everyone so no one could hear. He was glad a second time when he caught himself from stumbling into Jayspots. Ravenstar had stopped to group yet again to make an announcement.

"Creekstone has scouted ahead and informed that there is a barn up ahead. He reported that there is a scent of cat there, but he couldn't determine whether or not it was simply a passerby or a resident. We will all continue and see what happens."

_Yeah, this'll go over well_, Scorchpaw thought with a snort. He followed the group towards the large red barn, the smell of mice washing over him. He breathed it in deeply, driving his stomach mad. He knew he had to wait to hunt, but he had a strong desire to slip away and catch something for himself. No one was paying attention to him, since he was in the back.

Before he could make his decision, he heard a yowl. A sleek black tom had emerged. He was followed by another cat. The latter was black-and-white, and he looked like he was an elder. Returning his attention to the first cat, he noticed that he was speaking with Ravenstar, eyes full of caution.

"You're a Clan cat?" He heard Ravenstar asked, a little too excited.

He watched the other black cat shake his head. Ravenstar's face fell a little, but he still looked quite hopeful. The two conversed a little longer. The barn resident pointed with his tail a couple times at the mountains. Finally, Ravenstar turned to face SkyClan.

"This is Ravenpaw," he meowed, gesturing to the sleek black cat. _There's no way he's an apprentice!_ Scorchpaw thought incredulously.

"He is a former member of ThunderClan, and lives here in the barn. He met the Clans as they left their territory. He said they were following a sigh from StarClan that led them over the mountains and to the forest beyond."

Scorchpaw hardly believed the story, but he decided to stay quiet. He just wanted to eat at this point. Any far-fetched things he heard along the way were ignorable. He bounced lightly on his paws, awaiting Ravenstar's next words.

"He offered to let us hunt in the barn. He recommended trying to make it to the rocks across the thunderpath, which are called Highstones," Ravenstar concluded.

The dark ginger apprentice didn't need to hear anymore. He tore off towards the barn with a few other cats, startling the elderly cat who hadn't been introduced. Scorchpaw entered the barn with a smile playing at his lips. He scented the air, which was simply full of the smell of mice. He caught a couple quickly, giving one to Smudgenose before tucking into another.

It was nearing sunset when the Clan was well-fed and content. The sun was hovering a little over the mountains. SkyClan would have to get a move on if they wanted to reach Highstones before they were engulfed in darkness. Ravenstar took the lead again while Scorchpaw stayed the rear. The Clan bid goodbye to Ravenpaw and the elder, thanking them happily.

When they reached the thunderpath, which was quite soon, they crossed in the same fashion as before. This path was considerably busier than the last one they had to cross, and it took a lot longer to get everyone across as a result. As soon as everyone was across, they continued into the indent in the foothills. Scorchpaw was reminded with an unexpected pang of sadness of the gorge.

Ravenstar leapt up onto a rock, calling for attention yet again. "Tonight, we will camp here," he announced, gesturing to the rocks around him. "Tomorrow we will enter the mountains shortly after dawn. Sleep well," he finished before bounding off to find his own den.

Scorchpaw was a little reluctant to sleep among the rocks. He could see he wasn't alone. Many cats were terrified of this wall of rock collapsing on them, too. Most of the cats had their worries overtaken by lack of sleep, but Scorchpaw stayed where he was. He spotted Thornstrike doing the same. The apprentice had to admit he was confused. The fierce warrior, who was also Scorchpaw's father, would never be afraid. Curiosity getting the better of him, Scorchpaw padded over to investigate.

"Hey," he meowed quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I could ask you the same," Thornstrike responded, a growl edging his voice.

"Not tired."

"Thinking."

Both of the cats had their questions answered. Scorchpaw knew he should just leave his father and go to sleep. The moon was hanging high in the deep blue sky already. He needed his rest for tomorrow. Ignoring the gut feeling he had, he questioned Thornstrike farther.

"About what?"

Thornstrike let out a sigh. "Can I trust you?"

"'Course, I'm your son," Scorchpaw said.

The large, dark brown warrior looked doubtful, but he soon overcame it. "You know me. You know how I hate this Clan. That's what I'm thinking about."

"It's what I've been thinking about all day," Scorchpaw admitted freely. "Ravenstar is getting sickeningly arrogant."

"Keep it down," the father hissed. Scorchpaw nodded curtly, understanding.

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Scorchpaw whispered.

"That's what I'm thinking about," Thornstrike said gruffly. "This Clan really does need better management."

"Are you going to try and take over?"

"Are you going to help me?"

"I will," Scorchpaw meowed without thinking.

"Then I will."


	5. Chapter 5

Scorchpaw awoke to a loud scream piercing his eardrums. He lifted his head in a flash, getting to his paws and looking around. His immediate thoughts were that the rocks were falling again. He couldn't feel the ground shaking, but it was entirely possible that he had slept through that part. But Scorchpaw didn't hear any more screams. He didn't hear the thudding of pawsteps on the hard ground. He didn't hear the loud _thuds_ of rocks breaking from the walls and plummeting to the ground below.

"Fawnstep!"

The cat who had woken Scorchpaw up screamed again, this time for the medicine cat. Scorchpaw swiveled his head towards the spot where the yell had sounded from. There were boulders obstructing his view. Just as he was about to venture forward and try and get a look at who had spoken, Fawnstep pelted past him with a bunch of herbs in her mouth and Thymepaw at her heels.

He followed the two cats. They skirted the borders that had been in Scorchpaw's line of vision and appeared beside a light gray she-cat with black patches on her back. Her eyes were clenched shut, but when she opened them the usual bright green was tainted with pain. She was giving birth.

It didn't feel right to watch—at least not out in the open. Scorchpaw retreated to the side of the boulder, lying down and poking his head around, grateful for his dark ginger fur. He knew he was barely distinguishable from the red rocks around him. He fixed his dark amber gaze on the two she-cats and one tom, rather eager to see what was about to occur.

Fawnstep dropped the herbs she had been holding in her jaws. She situated herself at Sagepatch's middle, placing a paw on her flank. Thymepaw moved to sit at her rear, clearly there to receive the kits. Scorchpaw could see Fawnstep's lips moving, but he couldn't hear anything. He crept forward slightly, trying to catch what she was saying.

"…Ok, now I need you to push as hard as you can after the next contraction passes," Fawnstep mewed soothingly, her paw still on Sagepatch's side. Scorchpaw watched a spasm shake Sagepatch, but she bit her lip determinedly and pushed hard, just as the medicine cat had instructed.

"Good, good," Fawnstep encouraged. "Thymepaw, can you see anything?" Scorchpaw saw Thymepaw nod happily.

"The top of a head," he mewed with delight.

The medicine cat turned from her apprentice and back to Sagepatch. "That means you need to push after every contraction now, ok?" Sagepatch nodded weakly. "You're doing fine," Fawnstep reassured. Suddenly alert, she said, "Push!"

Sagepatch's face screwed up as she pushed, and Thymepaw quickly received what Scorchpaw assumed was a kit. The medicine cat apprentice began licking the kits fur the wrong way. Scorchpaw didn't know why. The kit couldn't be cold, could it? Was it stillborn? The apprentice continued to watch the scene with interest.

As Sagepatch pushed again, Fawnstep spoke up. "Thymepaw, do you see another?"

Thymepaw nodded, turning back to licking the current kit. Evidently, he had accomplished his goal, seeing as he had pushed the tiny bundle of fur towards Sagepatch's belly, most likely to start suckling. Thymepaw quickly focused his attention on the birth, waiting to receive the next kit.

"Keep going," Fawnstep instructed, seeing Sagepatch begin to weaken. "You gave birth to four kits before, this should be a breeze." That appeared to have given the queen strength as she pushed again, determination etched on her face. Fawnstep was nodding slowly, apparently satisfied for the moment.

Another bundle slipped out, and Sagepatch slumped down. That must have been the last one. Thymepaw began licking this one, too, and Scorchpaw was curious as to why. He figured it was best to stay hidden for a little longer, but he made a mental note to ask his brother later. The cream-colored tom pushed the second bundle towards Sagepatch, looking very happy. Scorchpaw watched the two newborns with interest. One was a light golden color, and the other was white with black paws and a couple of thin jagged stripes across the black and flanks.

"Haykit and Birchkit," he heard Sagepatch meow tiredly.

Ravenstar and Creekstone appeared on the scene. Scorchpaw wondered briefly if they had been hiding like he was. Creekstone bounded over to his mate and nuzzled her with a loud purr. Scorchpaw curled his lip in disgust. Ravenstar, however, turned to Fawnstep.

"What are their names?" He asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the family scene behind him.

"Haykit," Fawnstep meowed, pointing at the golden one with her tail, "And Birchkit," she said, indicating the white and black kit.

The leader smiled. "SkyClan could do with two new warriors," he purred.

_And a new leader, too, _Scorchpaw thought resentfully, eyeing the two bundles of fur at Sagepatch's stomach.

**A.N. Another short one. :P**


	6. Chapter 6

Not knowing how long it would be before Ravenstar pulled himself away from the kits and got on to continuing the journey, Scorchpaw left the scene. He was anxious to keep traveling, but he didn't know if the newborn kits would survive movement. The dark ginger tom settled down with a sigh, keeping the scene in his line of vision. He sent a deep scowl towards Sagepatch. _Stupid she-cat,_ he insulted silently. _You have plenty of kits. Now you have to hold us up because you can't stand being a warrior. Selfish piece of foxdung._

Just as Scorchpaw slid down onto his stomach to possibly catch a little more sleep, Ravenstar leapt up onto a large boulder and yowled loudly for SkyClan to gather beneath him. With a huff, Scorchpaw got to his paws and headed towards the black tom with an air of loathing.

"Sagepatch has given birth to two kits," Ravenstar purred once the entire Clan had assembled. "Their names are Haykit and Birchkit." _Wow, interesting_, Scorchpaw thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"We don't want to risk the lives of the newborns, but we don't want the Clan sticking around in one place for too long until our definite new home is found. Therefore, Sagepatch and Creekstone will select two cats to be their guards while they carry their kits at a slower pace than the one we are accustomed to traveling to," Ravenstar announced. "Creekstone?" He meowed, inviting the tom up onto the boulder.

Creekstone soared in a graceful leap onto the rock, large golden paws landing neatly on the surface. "Sagepatch and I took a little time discussing who we would like to come with us, and we would like to invite Jayspots and Copperspots to join us and our kits," the deputy proclaimed. He made eye contact with first the bright silver tom with two splotches of black on his back and then the tall, sandy-colored she-cat with the darker tawny throat.

Jayspots moved silently over to stand by his parents, while Copperspots dipped her head briefly to Creekstone. "I'd be honored," she promised him before heading over to Sagepatch to meet the new kits.

Re-assuming his place on the rock, Ravenstar waited until the Clan had re-focused themselves and were paying attention once more. "With that being said, let us continue!" he cried enthusiastically.

Scorchpaw waited for the Clan to pass him as usual. It took a little longer since it seemed like every cat wanted to stop and greet the two new kits. Scorchpaw didn't know why. They were hardly interesting. All they were were tiny bundles of fur. Literally. They couldn't see, nor could they make a sound. They could hardly move. They just wiggled around and suckled, from what Scorchpaw could see.

When the rest of the Clan was finally on their way behind Ravenstar, Scorchpaw began to follow. He had to admit he was surprised when Sagepatch lay down, each of her party following suit. Weren't they going to get moving? Or were they going to wait a little for the kits. _This is all stupid_, he thought angrily. _They'll get themselves killed, that lot will._

Ravenstar led the cats back towards where they came the other day. When they reached the end of the rock wall, they made a loop and began up the ridge instead of along the bottom like yesterday. The leader carefully moved a good few fox-lengths away from the drop-off and made sure the Clan did the same to avoid any accidents.

Sagepatch had woken them all up quite early with her screaming, so it wasn't long after dawn as SkyClan trooped along the gorge towards the mountains. Scorchpaw couldn't see how the journey could take too long. From here it looked like the base of the mountains met Highstones, and they didn't look too big to the apprentice. _We should be there in a matter of sunrises, _Scorchpaw thought with a tiny leap of excitement in his stomach.

The tom was in for a surprise, though, when they reached the highest point on the expanse of rock. Below the group of cats were long stretches of grassy fields dotted with what looked like clouds hovering over the grass. The sun was climbing in the blue sky overhead, creating a scenic view. Scorchpaw could hardly enjoy it at this point. How long could it really take to reach their new home, if everything was so much larger than it seemed?

"Well," Ravenstar meowed. "Let's get going!"

He led the way down the rocky slope towards the fields, placing his paws carefully so they didn't step on a piece of loose rock that would cause him to slip and be sent tumbling down the sharp surface. Scorchpaw did the same, walking slowly not just to stay behind but to make sure he didn't fall ahead.

It was safe to say that everyone was grateful to reach the grass below. Puddlepaw had been smooth enough of let excitement get the better of her and topple down the last few tail-lengths. The fluffy gray she-cat shook herself, not seeming injured. It was a still a bit of a scare to the cats around Scorchpaw from what he could see. He was almost grateful Sagepatch had to stay behind with her kits so she wouldn't fuss over the younger apprentice.

SkyClan were used to the gorge, and Scorchpaw had to wonder why they took so much trouble from a rocky slope. They were better adapted than that, weren't they? _How are we ever going to pass the mountains_? He moaned inwardly.

Scorchpaw let out a tiny sigh of content as his paws met the springy grass. He felt the urge to bounce on his toes but quickly decided it was beneath him. Puddlepaw felt no shame, bouncing around her sister, Spottedpaw. Spiderpaw was chortling as he trotted alongside the two sisters. Scorchpaw knew he hadn't been so moronic when he was younger, but it still sickened him to watch them. He turned away, curling his lip slightly.

By the time it was sunhigh, Scorchpaw didn't think they'd made much headway. He could still make out the rocks of Highstones quite distinctly behind him, only one or two fields under their paws. He knew this would soon change as they approached a field of tall stalks with yellow cylinders growing out of them.

"Are we going through that?" Scorchpaw heard a cat squeak at Ravenstar. _Yes, yes we are, _Scorchpaw urged quietly.

"No, we're going around," Ravenstar decided. _Mousebrain_, Scorchpaw insulted shamelessly.

They filed along the edge of the field. The stalks seemed to stretch on forever, and Scorchpaw was feeling more hate towards Ravenstar than ever. Just as he was about to lose hope, the end of the rows appeared before him. He allowed a tiny smile as they turned the corner, but his face fell as another long expanse of green plants stretched along beside him.

When the end of the row made itself visible, Scorchpaw wasn't nearly as pleased as he had been the last time. The roaring of monsters met his ears, and he groaned quietly. They reached the edge of a busy thunderpath, monsters speeding in both directions along the ground. Ravenstar made some announcements he couldn't hear over a particularly large and loud monster. He'd just cross and see where that got him.

He waited patiently while Meadowpaw, Creampaw, and Willowmist crossed. Those three were followed by Smudgenose and Darkmoon, who were proceeded by Tawnythroat and Gingerflight. Fawnstep crossed with Thymepaw, followed by Bristlehaze, Puddlepaw, Spottedpaw, and Thornstrike.

He hardly noticed Ravenstar beckoning to him. "You're crossing with me, Spiderpaw, and Lionpaw," he instructed.

Scorchpaw nodded, shooting a glare at the leader once he turned away. A pair of monsters raced by, ruffling his fur. "After the next one," Ravenstar meowed quietly as a large monster approached. It whizzed by, and Scorchpaw took off. He heard a shriek.

"Scorchpaw, watch out!"

The dark ginger tom vaguely heard a monster heading towards him. Ravenstar hadn't seen this one. Scorchpaw put on a burst of speed, the monster's roar filling his ears, deafening him. He tried to go faster, feeling like his side was going to explode. As soon as he felt grass beneath his paws he let go, somersaulting into the next field.

"Oops," he muttered before a dark wave rose before him, sweeping quickly over his mind.

When he came to, Scorchpaw could feel jaws around his scruff. He was swinging slightly, paws occasionally bumping the ground. He was reluctant to open his eyes—his paws felt heavy and he didn't want to walk anymore. But he couldn't keep them closed either. He opened them a crack.

He was being carried across a darkening field. Some of the clouds he saw earlier were near him now. They weren't clouds at all, but some sort of smelly animal. _Huh_, he thought vacantly. He saw a small clump of trees ahead, and he knew they were going there to spend the night. _Oh cool,_ he enthused tiredly in his mind.

Noticing he had come to, the cat that was carrying him set him on the ground. Scorchpaw turned to see his father, Thornstrike, looking embarrassed. "How could you pass out on me?" the tom whispered angrily.

"I didn't try to," Scorchpaw responded with a yawn. "I was about to die, if you didn't notice. If you'd rather I was dead, I could arrange that. You can take over the Clan by yourself," he spat.

"Quiet!" Thornstrike hissed. "Just get to the trees."

The warrior stalked off, leaving Scorchpaw sitting on the grass. The dark ginger tom stood up, another yawn opening his jaws. He padded slowly towards the outcropping of trees, which was nearing tediously slowly. When he finally reached them, he flopped down on a patch of moss surrounded by tall, soft grasses, ready to snore the night away. He let out a groan as a claw poked him.

"I want to join you," he heard a voice murmur urgently.

"What?" Scorchpaw asked, mildly interested. He opened one eye to see Smokestripe standing over him.

"To help take over," the large gray tom told him.

"T-talk to Thornstrike," Scorchpaw dismissed, just wanting to sleep. "He makes the decisions."

Hearing Smokestripe pad away, he rested his head on his paws, slipping off into instant sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Update? What is this foreign concept?**

"Scorchpaw!"

The tom lifted his head lazily at the sound of his name. There was a faint light that fought through the thick leaves overhead and lit up the forest. Scorchpaw blinked once or twice, his amber eyes slowly growing more alert. He slid up into a sitting position, tensing as he noticed the cat before him.

She watched him expectantly for a few moments, clearly looking for more of a reaction from the apprentice. When Scorchpaw refused to give her one, the light brown she-cat sighed.

"Its dawn," Meadowpaw mewed. "I was told to come fetch you."

Scorchpaw gave one terse nod, getting to his paws. He wasn't in the mood to give the she-cat any show of emotion. She seemed fairly normal to him, which meant he didn't have to waste any time trying to make her feel better because of any gut-wrenching churning that could occur in his stomach. Or something.

Meadowpaw sighed as Scorchpaw ignored her. The tom continued to do so, scenting the air to locate the rest of his Clan. They weren't far off. He began to head in their direction, leaving Meadowpaw watching him with a torn expression etched onto her face.

"Wait," she called softly, her voice becoming sharper at the end, as if she regretted the word. Scorchpaw decided that Meadowpaw didn't actually want to talk to him, and he kept walking.

"No, actually!" Meadowpaw cried, padding after the dark ginger apprentice to catch up with him.

_It's too early_, Scorchpaw though, picking up speed as they neared the group of SkyClan cats who were congregated in a small clearing within the clump of woods that were unfamiliar to them.

"Can't you listen to me?" the she-cat complained, matching Scorchpaw's speed easily. Scorchpaw focused his attention on the cats in the clearing. The cats were flocking towards Ravenstar, who was speaking.

"…I have decided that we are not going through the mountains, which means that we shall have to pass through the Twolegplace Bristlehaze's patrol alerted me of when they went scouting before dawn. However, Bristlehaze believes that we can miss the worst of it if we travel through the foothills of the mountains and what appears to be a forest beyond."

"Why don't we just go through the mountains in the first place?" Cloud-dew called out.

"This is safer," Ravenstar answered.

Scorchpaw hovered at the edge of the clearing, Meadowpaw glaring at him. "How is it safer?" the tom called out harshly.

Ravenstar turned to stare down the apprentice. "That route would take us across many mountains. This one will lead across one or two, if any. There's less of a chance of us losing our cats to the mountains."

When no other cats objected to the plan, Ravenstar continued. "We'll be leaving now."

"What about hunting?" Puddlepaw called out. A murmur of agreement snaked through the crowd of cats.

"I want to reach the mountains by—"

Fawnstep cut the leader off with an apologetic glance at the large black tom before addressing the Clan. "We will hunt, but we will leave these trees no later than sunhigh," the medicine cat decided. "We need food or we may lose cats to fatigue and carelessness. Cats must be in groups of at least three; apprentices must have a warrior with them, preferably their mentor."

"Want to hunt?" Meadowpaw asked politely.

"Not especially," Scorchpaw grunted.

"Oh, come on. It's not like you want to hunt with Ravenstar and Tawnythroat," the she-cat meowed, flicking her tail at the couple. "Spiderpaw can join us, too," she added, remembering that it wasn't just the leader's mate who had an apprentice.

_Great_. "And a warrior?"

"My mentor. Willowmist," Meadowpaw offered.

_Wonderful._ Before he could say no, a pretty silver-brown she-cat with light green eyes appeared beside Meadowpaw. "We're taking Spiderpaw and Scorchpaw," she announced to her apprentice. "Leader's orders."

_Now you can't refuse._ "Let's go, then," Scorchpaw asserted as a small black tom with one blue eye and one green eye joined the group. Willowmist nodded, leading the three apprentices away from the organizing patrols in the clearing.

"We don't have a lot of time or space," Willowmist mewed to the group. _Staggering insight, really_, Scorchpaw commented silently.

"What can you smell, Spiderpaw?"

Scorchpaw smiled as he sat back. Maybe having the younger cat along wouldn't be so bad; he wouldn't have to do as much work since he didn't have as much to learn.

"Don't get excited, Scorchpaw," the warrior warned. "I need you and Meadowpaw to see what you can smell, too. That way we can help out Spiderpaw if he misses something, and then you won't waste time sniffing around when it's time to hunt."

Stifling a grimace, Scorchpaw scented the air. Mostly, his nostrils were overpowered by the scent of SkyClan nearby. He wouldn't be surprised if all the prey had already fled. Nonetheless, he sifted through the scents of cats, and eventually caught a whiff of a mouse and a sparrow.

"And?" Willowmist prompted the black apprentice.

"There's a mouse over there," Spiderpaw answered, pointing with his tail. "And a squirrel over there. And…is that a rabbit?"

_How did I miss that?_ Scorchpaw thought to himself, angry for letting the younger cat best him.

Willowmist nodded approvingly. "Meadowpaw?" she asked.

"The mouse and squirrel Spiderpaw scented," the light brown apprentice admitted.

Turning to Scorchpaw, Willowmist said, "And you?"

"The mouse that Spiderpaw scented," he meowed. Willowmist and Spiderpaw looked smug. Meadowpaw looked relieved. "As well as," he added, watching Spiderpaw's face fall with amusement. "A sparrow and…" The dark ginger apprentice subtly sniffed the air. "A vole. These woods are laden with prey."

"Good hunting," Willowmist agreed. "Scorchpaw, why don't you try catching the sparrow you scented? Meadowpaw can go for the squirrel and Spiderpaw for the mouse."

"I want to hunt the rabbit!" the black tom complained.

"I'll do that," Willowmist deflected. "The Clan will be hungry and we don't want to miss out a good chance for prey.

Spiderpaw visibly deflated, dragging his paws slightly as he went off in pursuit of the mouse. "Ravenstar would have let me try," he mumbled. Scorchpaw guessed that he was the only one who heard.

Pricking his ears, Scorchpaw followed the scent of the sparrow. The forest had grown quiet as SkyClan divided into patrols and silently watched their prey. Scorchpaw spotted his sparrow quickly, pecking at some seeds at the base of an oak tree. The apprentice dropped into a hunting crouch, creeping through the fronds of New Leaf grass as the bird ate calmly. The prey here obviously wasn't used to being hunted.

When Scorchpaw was a tail-length away from the bird, it looked up. However, not being hunted meant not having good reflexes. The sparrow had hardly even spanned its wings before Scorchpaw had pounced and dealt the killing blow. He quickly gave thanks to StarClan for the easy catch before turning to head back to where he had left the other three cats. There was no need to catch extra prey since most cats could hunt for themselves, and the rest could share with cats like Willowmist who found rabbits. They wouldn't want to waste prey by catching more than they needed, since they couldn't take much of it with them.

Scorchpaw met up with Spiderpaw, who was watching his catch glumly. It was a fairly skinny mouse, and the kill hadn't been clean. "Bad luck," the ginger apprentice grunted, not enjoying the look of solemnity on Spiderpaw's face.

"Whatever," Spiderpaw sighed, eyeing the plump sparrow with envy.

Meadowpaw appeared then, dragging a squirrel alongside her. She plopped down beside Scorchpaw with a smile of relief. "I thought it was much smaller," she laughed. "I would have opted to catch something else if I'd known. I—"

The she-cat broke off when she noticed the sulking Spiderpaw. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked him nicely.

"My catch is dumb," the tom sighed.

"Oh, please," Meadowpaw chuckled. "All prey counts."

_She's good with others_, Scorchpaw complimented in his head. Shaking himself, he curled his lip. _So?_

Willowmist appeared empty-pawed. Scorchpaw gave her a 'well' look. She sighed. "Bristlehaze and I were hunting the same rabbit. He caught it a heartbeat before I toppled on top of him. Stupid tom was downwind of me and didn't notice."

"But you were upwind so it's fine that you didn't?" Scorchpaw challenged.

The warrior shot Scorchpaw a glare. "You do not speak to a warrior that way," she warned slowly and quietly. The apprentice tried not to grin, knowing he had pushed her over an edge. "Let's just head back to the clearing."

Picking up his sparrow, Scorchpaw led the way back to the rest of SkyClan. Many of the cats had already returned, and elders had their food. The tom lay down, taking a bite of his sparrow. _Ugh, feathers_, he thought to himself. He plucked a few off, taking another bite. It wasn't that bad. In fact, Scorchpaw was much hungrier than he had realized. In a matter of minutes he had devoured the bird. He licked his paws contentedly, watching other cats finishing up their meal. In the end, only a mouse and a finch were left untouched.

"Take them," Ravenstar commanded Lionpaw and Mistpaw. The two apprentices shared a smile as their fur brushed when they bent for the pieces of the prey. Scorchpaw gagged to himself.

"Do me a favor," a voice behind the tom said. Scorchpaw whirled around to see Thornstrike.

"Yes?" Scorchpaw asked calmly.

"Never fall in love, it disgusts me."

Scorchpaw couldn't hold back a purr of amusement. His father cuffed him lightly over the ears. Scorchpaw tackled his father, and the two tussled for a few moments before Thornstrike sat up, assuming an air of seriousness.

"Smokestripe has joined us," he meowed in a low voice. The dark ginger apprentice nodded.

"When we reach the mountains, we will strike."

"How will I—"

"I'll yowl," the tom answered before Scorchpaw could finish his sentence. "When I do, try to injure as many cats as you can. Our goal is Ravenstar, don't forget. Smokestripe will go for him, but we'll help if needed. Understand?"

"I understand," Scorchpaw answered.

"Good," Thornstrike confirmed, raising his voice back to its normal level. Ravenstar yowled for the attention of SkyClan as he did, and Scorchpaw turned to watch with a glint of hatred in his eyes. The conversation with his father had inspired him.

"It is sunhigh," Ravenstar announced. _I'm baffled, really_, Scorchpaw sneered silently. "We'll head for the edge of this forest. From there we must cross a couple fields, and then we'll see what we must face."

_Whatever_, Scorchpaw sighed inwardly. Bristlehaze headed to the front of the group, clearly taking the place of deputy in Creekstone's absence. He led the energized cats onwards towards their latest goal. Scorchpaw hung back as he usually did until everyone else had abandoned the clearing. He followed after the last cat, jumping as he heard a voice behind him.

"I know what you're planning, Scorchpaw."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Just a side note…I wouldn't complain over a review or two. -.-**

"I don't know what you're talking about," Scorchpaw growled after a few moments of shocked silence.

"You know perfectly well what I am talking about," Meadowpaw meowed levelly, locking her gaze on to Scorchpaw's.

"Um, no, I don't," the dark ginger apprentice repeated, turning around to follow after the rest of SkyClan.

"This isn't who you are," Meadowpaw persisted, racing after the tom. Scorchpaw sped up, realizing just how far ahead his Clan was. He didn't want to travel among them, but he certainly couldn't loose them with his father as well as Smokestripe counting on him to help take down Ravenstar. With bounding leaps, he distanced himself from the light brown she-cat, a group of cats coming into view.

Scorchpaw soon caught up with the rest of his Clanmates. They had halted in front of a fence that spanned across the edge of the grouping of trees. _Forgot how to jump, have you?_ Scorchpaw thought rudely, glaring at Ravenstar. The black tom was always talking. Couldn't he just do something through _showing_ for once in his life?

"…Beyond this fence lie a couple fields and what looks to be like some sort of twoleg building. We can't know what it is until we get there, so for now we will just slip through the bars of this fence and then see what happens."

_We really could have figured that out on our own_, Scorchpaw sighed inwardly, waiting for the rest of the cats to wriggle through the gaps in the fence before he followed. Meadowpaw leapt up beside him as he pulled himself through the rotting pieces of wood.

The two landed on the grass opposite the forest at the same time. Scorchpaw didn't have to look at Meadowpaw to know that the she-cat was watching him. "I wasn't kidding, you know," the apprentice mewed softly.

Scorchpaw lashed his tail. "About?" he questioned, beginning to pad across the expanse of grass at a brisk pace.

"This isn't who you are," Meadowpaw told him, repeating herself from earlier as she followed after Scorchpaw.

Turning around, Scorchpaw bared his teeth. "What do you know about me?" he growled, challenging the she-cat.

Meadowpaw didn't look phased at all. She watched Scorchpaw calmly, which only angered him further. "How could you possibly know who I am?" he continued, hoping to snatch a few words out of the she-cat who seemed to have made it her mission to annoy him. "Well, say something!" the tom yowled.

She slapped her tail over his mouth. "You'll draw attention to us," she warned.

"Why shouldn't I?" Scorchpaw responded angrily through a mouthful of fur. "You're not telling me anything!"

With a sigh, Meadowpaw removed her tail from Scorchpaw's jaws. Scorchpaw clenched his teeth, waiting for the she-cat to say something to him. He was already readying himself with a handful of insults and retorts as Meadowpaw seemed to contemplate her words.

"You won't listen if I do," she told Scorchpaw simply.

"Oh, believe me, you have my attention now," Scorchpaw snarled sadistically.

"Touched a nerve, have I?" Meadowpaw teased, the light of humor absent from her bright green eyes.

_Touched a nerve?_ Scorchpaw thought. _No! Never! What nerve? She hasn't even said anything. This she-cat is insane_. Scorchpaw turned and continued following after his Clan, who were already at the next fence. He launched himself after them, hoping it would be fast enough for Meadowpaw to be left behind for once. But her steady pawsteps appeared at his side, a sneer building on her face.

"I told you that I know what you're planning," Meadowpaw persisted, matching his speed.

Scorchpaw skidded to a halt. It took Meadowpaw a few moments to do the same, pivoting to return to the tom's side. "And if you won't admit it, it doesn't matter. I'll tell Ravenstar, anyway."

"Tell Ravenstar what? What, _exactly_," Scorchpaw tested, taking a few pawsteps toward the she-cat so that the two were uncomfortably close together. Well, uncomfortable for her. Meadowpaw took a step back, a glint of fear shining in her eyes. Scorchpaw hid a smile, knowing it wasn't the time to break his character.

When Meadowpaw spoke, it was in a barely audible tone. Scorchpaw didn't know why, considering that the cats of SkyClan were already halfway across the next field. "You're planning to kill Ravenstar. To take over SkyClan," she whimpered.

"Who told you that?" Scorchpaw persisted, not currently planning on giving away that that was exactly what he planned to do.

"Y-you did," Meadowpaw mewed. "I overheard you and your father at the gorge, and again in the forest."

A loud growl escaped from Scorchpaw's lips. Meadowpaw shrank back, her fur rising in fear. "That's exactly right," the dark ginger apprentice purred cruelly. "Ravenstar will die, others may as well. Mention this again, and I'll put you at the top of the list," he finished, watching the tears spill over Meadowpaw's eyes. "Taught you a lesson, have I?" Scorchpaw taunted. She didn't respond, but Scorchpaw didn't need a response. "Good. I'll see you in the new SkyClan, then."

On that last fierce note, Scorchpaw backed away from Meadowpaw. He began running with quick, powerful leaps. He shoved his way through the second fence, bolting towards the group of cats that were beginning to come to a halt at the third twoleg fence. Scorchpaw focused on the movements of his limbs, trying to push Meadowpaw out of his mind. A niggling thought lingered in the back of his mind. _You shouldn't have said all those things to her_, it told him. _She's too fragile._

Scorchpaw shook his head roughly to expel the thought from his mind. _She's fine_, he told himself, glancing behind him. Meadowpaw was trudging along, having just passed the second barrier. She'd catch up, or at least not fall far enough behind to get lost. Scorchpaw tore his gaze from her, looking up just in time to not crash into Aspenfrost. He slid to a stop, looking up at Ravenstar with cold eyes.

Ravenstar cleared his throat, looking nervous. "Before us lies what seems to be a home for extremely large monsters. We must cross by this platform, for beyond it lie the foothills which we are aiming for."

The leader paused as a few murmurs of shock passed through the crowd. "Calm down, calm down," Ravenstar told them, his tail twitching in annoyance. "It's not like I'm asking you to bolt straight through the crowd of monsters. We will pass around it as best we can. I'm merely alerting you of the danger."

_A coherent speech, congratulations_. Scorchpaw rolled his eyes. For once the leader had said something mildly intelligible and assertive. Too late now, though, for his death was already planned at the paws of three of his own cats.

Meadowpaw padded up to the group just as Ravenstar turned and crossed the final fence. Scorchpaw heard her ask Spottedpaw what was going on. _At least she's not bothering me anymore_, he optimized, a pit forming rapidly in his stomach.

He watched as the light brown she-cat crossed with Spottedpaw in the middle of the group of cats. _Now you can be in silence again. Isn't that what you wanted?_

_Yes, yes it was_, Scorchpaw told himself firmly. _Focus yourself. Why do you keep thinking of Meadowpaw?_

Deciding it would be better to leave that question alone, Scorchpaw joined his Clanmates on the other side as they began to file along the edge of a large twoleg nest. On the other side stood monsters bigger than Scorchpaw could have ever imagined, their height matching that of the twoleg den SkyClan was using to hide from them. Scorchpaw padded quickly along after the rest of his Clan, not wishing to stray too far behind by himself with the monsters nearby. He had never been particularly afraid of the monsters, but the ones on the other side of the twoleg building put all other monsters he had ever seen to shame.

Scorchpaw sighed in dismay as a large thunderpath came into view before him. Monsters—none as big as the ones he had just marveled at—whizzed back and forth almost constantly. On the other side stood the foothills of the mountains, but how many cats would make it across to the next leg of the journey?

With a deep breath, Scorchpaw padded to the head of the group to stand with Tawnythroat, Ravenstar, and Spiderpaw. Three monsters zoomed by before Gingerflight and Smudgenose dashed across with Sagepatch and Aspenfrost at their sides. Another six monsters sped past and then Smokestripe, Lionpaw, Darkmoon, and Mistpaw shot across the thunderpath, staying out of harms way. The next group was made up of Cloud-dew, Creampaw, Willowmist, and Meadowpaw. Scorchpaw found himself especially relieved that this group was ok.

_Get a hold of yourself_, he advised, bunching his muscles as he and the other three cats he was with prepared to cross the thunderpath. It was easier than he anticipated, his muscles much more energized than he had expected.

The entire Clan on the other side of the path, Scorchpaw watched Ravenstar put on a big smile.

"SkyClan," the large tom meowed with pride shining in his eyes. "To our new home."

Scorchpaw passed on the sarcastic remark as Ravenstar led his Clan pompously towards the mountains before them.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Short and dry, I know. It needed to be done, as it would have been too long if I'd attached at the head of the next chapter.**

Scorchpaw padded along near the rear of the group of SkyClan cats as they headed towards the mountains. The cats seemed to be reenergized now that they had passed the twolegplace. They chattered excitedly to their Clanmates, trading stories and ideas about what life would be like living with other Clans. No cat had ever lived with other Clans on their borders. They didn't know what it was like to have something constant to defend their families from. Cats like Bristlehaze and Darkmoon were already flexing their claws at the prospect of regular battles or, at the very least, border disputes. They boasted about how the other Clans would fear them. Others, like Fawnstep, were fretting over what the other Clans would do to disrupt their regular Clan life. Certainly Sagepatch would be concerned for her kits.

The slow pace the Clan was traveling at made the more hyper cats far too restless. A couple had taken it upon them to head back and see how Sagepatch was fairing. The cats had been back before the group was very far from the thunderpath, reporting that Sagepatch, with her kits and escorts, were tailing SkyClan. Scorchpaw seemed to be the only cat who realized that the Clan had to be making worse and worse progress if a group of cats with young kits was catching up to them.

Cats were constantly dropping to the back of the group to see the new additions to SkyClan. Scorchpaw's pelt prickled with annoyance each time a cat passed him. He hated being in the middle of the assembly of cats. He tried to stay behind, but he was constantly being passed in both directions. Eventually, eyes dark with irritation, he stopped trying to fall back.

Scorchpaw kept his nose out of the news of other cats, plodding along quietly as the day progressed. This was the first time he had heard the cat's gossip in ages, and he had forgotten how thoroughly annoying it was. He blocked out the chatter about Sagepatch and her kits as he faced the mountains.

As the sun was setting, the cats arrived at the base of the mountain. It looked less intimidating than Scorchpaw had anticipated. He had always imagined the mountains like the gorge; with sheer faces of rock that were hard to climb without the beaten in paths that had been walked for generations. However, these mountains had plenty of paths and paw holds, along with some trees and bushes perched among the rocks.

Ravenstar drew to a halt, bunching his muscles and leaping gallantly up on to the nearest boulder. He turned to face his Clan, his eyes light with youth. Scorchpaw wrinkled his nose in distaste. _What can he possibly have to say now?_

"This journey has been tough, and it isn't over yet," the leader announced. "However, SkyClan remains strong. This is best shown through the naming of new warriors," he continued, making eye contact with Scorchpaw.

_Me?_ Scorchpaw thought incredulously. He shook the excited thoughts from his mind. _Now I can kill him as a warrior. Even better_. He ignored the excited squeaks from Meadowpaw and Creampaw.

"I, Ravenstar of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices," Ravenstar began brightly. "They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn.

"Scorchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Forcing his voice to stay flat, Scorchpaw looked into Ravenstar's eyes. "I do."

"Creampaw?"

"I do," the cream-colored she-cat responded with a bounce of excitement.

"Meadowpaw?"

"I do," the light brown she-cat confirmed with a dip of her head.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Scorchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Scorchwhisker. StarClan honors your amazing skills in battle and your ability to keep a level head, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan."

Scorchwhisker padded forward as Ravenstar landed on the ground. The large black tom rested his head on his own, and Scorchwhisker tensed his muscles so he wouldn't jerk away. He licked Ravenstar's shoulder respectfully, masking his feeling of disgust before padding away to sit beside his father.

"Creampaw," Ravenstar continued. "From this moment on you will be known as Creamfur. StarClan honors your optimism and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan."

Creamfur did as Scorchwhisker had, licking the leader's shoulder as a sign of respect before joining her Clanmates in the crowd to watch the last apprentice be named a warrior.

"Meadowpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Meadowleap. StarClan honors your firm skills and your friendliness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan," Ravenstar finished, resting his head on Meadowleap's.

As Meadowleap went to sit down, Fawnstep took Ravenstar's place.

"This ceremony is typically performed only in the eyes of StarClan. However, we are unaware where our next home will be or where our next place to meet with StarClan will be, so I shall do it here, with you as well as StarClan as my witnesses.

"I, Fawnstep of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help he will serve his Clan for many moons.

"Thymepaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

Scorchwhisker watched his brother look into his mentor's eyes with a quiver of excitement. "I do," Thymepaw meowed clearly.

Fawnstep continued with a smile. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Thymepaw, from this moment you will be known as Thymeheart. StarClan honors your strong memory and caring qualities, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of SkyClan."

"Scorchwhisker! Creamfur! Meadowleap! Thymepaw!" the cats cheered, three of the newly named cats glowing with pride. Scorchwhisker sat quietly by his father, looking to others like he had a thorn in his pad.

When the cheering died away, a loud screech split the air.

"Attack!"


	10. Chapter 10

Making quick eye-contact with Smokestripe and Thornstrike, Scorchwhisker added his voice to the yowl. He smoothly unsheathed his claws, charging at the first cat he spotted. Ravenstar was the main goal, but he wouldn't mind injuring a few foxbrains in the process.

Finally, the anger that had been building up since the day he was born could be released. He heard the shrieks of SkyClan around him as they realized what was happening. As they realized their fate.

_They're going to die_, Scorchwhisker thought firmly. _I am going to _kill_ them._

With a mighty roar, the tom tore his claws across the muzzle of the cat before him. It was Tawnythroat. The she-cat was much larger than him, but she was caught off guard. Scorchwhisker lunged for her throat, but Bristlehaze threw his weight into the new warrior before he could deal a killing blow to the she-cat.

"She mentored you," Bristlehaze snarled, pinning Scorchwhisker to the ground with one heavy paw.

"Well," Scorchwhisker added, twisting out from beneath Bristlehaze. He was a moment to slow, the older warrior managing to unsheathe his claws and tear at Scorchwhisker's flank before he was out. "She mentored me well," the new warrior repeated. "But that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be killed. Only that she helped me to learn how to kill her."

Bristlehaze bared his teeth, lunging towards Scorchwhisker. The dark ginger tom side-stepped, raking his claws along the older cat's flank before tackling Aspenfrost. The tom already sported a large gash on his shoulder. Aspenfrost had been too busy glaring after Thornstrike, who was being attacked by Jayspots and Lionpaw, to notice Scorchwhisker heading towards him.

Scorchwhisker latched easily on to the large white tom, splashing blood onto his two black spots. The tom let out a loud yowl as claws pierced his flesh. But his gash made him weak. Without hesitation, Scorchwhisker sunk his teeth into the back of Aspenfrost's neck. He bit down harder and harder until he felt the warrior go limp beneath him. He leapt away before the tom collapsed.

_The first of many_, Scorchwhisker reminded himself.

He paused for a moment to catch his breath. He looked around, a twinge of respect sparking in his chest. The Clan had arranged them selves beautifully, warriors encircling the weak. Any spares were fearlessly tearing at the attackers. It was too bad that some would die.

Smokestripe had made it to Ravenstar. The two large toms were battling fiercely. Thornstrike was locked in combat with Willowmist. Many cats had their hackles raised as they stood guard, but they weren't fighting. Scorchwhisker blinked, settling his gaze on Spiderpaw.

With a burst of speed, he pelted towards the apprentice. The black tom turned, mismatched eyes wide as he saw the fierce dark ginger tom heading towards him. With a shriek of terror mixed with rage, Spiderpaw raced towards Scorchwhisker head-on.

Scorchwhisker swerved to the left, circling around the black tom as he dove for the spot where Scorchwhisker had been. Spiderpaw spun around too slowly, giving the warrior enough time to land squarely on the apprentice's shoulders. The tom was much strong than Scorchwhisker had anticipated, and he nearly lost his balance when the younger cat didn't collapse beneath him.

Suddenly his breath was gone. The black apprentice had rolled over and was now snapping his teeth at Scorchwhisker's neck. The dark ginger tom pushed the smaller cat off of him. Before he could scratch Spiderpaw and find another cat to hurt, the black cat was attached by his teeth to Scorchwhisker's shoulder. Stifling a yowl of pain, Scorchwhisker tore the apprentice from his shoulder by the scruff, tossing the cat as far away from him as he could.

Thornstrike appeared at his side. "Fawnstep is dead," he breathed.

Offering no more than a shrug, Scorchwhisker turned his attention to Ravenstar. The leader was lying on his side. He didn't stir. _He must be losing a life_, Scorchwhisker noted. _Or more_.

He looked around for Smokestripe, who had been battling the large black tom. He saw him a fox-length away from Ravenstar, as still as the night air around the father and son. Blood pooled beneath Smokestripe. Scorchwhisker had no doubt that he was dead.

"What now?" Scorchwhisker hissed to his father. The cats of SkyClan were watching the pair with hostile eyes. Haykit and Birchkit were attempting to sneak a look at the blood, but Sagepatch wouldn't have it. A few cats were sobbing quietly, breaking rank to lie beside Aspenfrost and Fawnstep.

"We run," Thornstrike asserted, turning to head back to the twolegplace.

"Not yet," a voice wheezed behind them. Scorchwhisker whirled around, unsheathing his claws. Ravenstar stood before the two, trembling slightly with the effort of standing.

"Fighting will do you no good now," the leader warned.

"I could finish you off," Scorchwhisker hissed.

"I'm sure these cats would no longer sit around guarding their Clanmates while you took away my remaining eight lives," Ravenstar responded calmly.

Scorchwhisker sat back, irked by the tom's patience. "Well, then, what are you going to do now?" the dark ginger tom challenged, narrowing his smoldering amber eyes.

Ravenstar smirked. Scorchwhisker could see him growing stronger and stronger as the effect of losing a life wore off. "That," the large tom meowed in a matter-of-fact manner. "Is easy."

**A.N. Sorry that it's so short and that it's mostly just fighting. I'd really appreciate some feedback on this chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N. POV switch~**

Spottedpaw watched as Ravenstar smirked at Scorchwhisker before padding towards the boulder from which he had performed the ceremonies. He took the leap more slowly this time, having to scrabble slightly towards the top to make it up. He shook his fur lightly, clearly still a little disoriented from losing a life. The entire Clan was already watching him with expectant stares, so he skipped the ceremonious call.

"First off," the leader began, his eyes cold, "We must deal with the traitors." He motioned with his tail for Bristlehaze, Willowmist, and Creekstone to bring Scorchwhisker and Thornstrike before him.

"These cats have gone against our Clan," Ravenstar meowed, acting as though everyone sitting in front of him did not know this. "They have attacked, they have killed, and they must be punished." The large black tom's voice grew quieter with each item of the list.

Then his voice was booming, and Spottedpaw jumped. She heard Puddlepaw giggled beside her. Spottedpaw wasn't feeling particularly playful, but she still gave her sister a friendly shove.

"Scorchwhisker, Thornstrike," Ravenstar meowed, speaking the names as though he might retch. "You are no longer welcome in SkyClan. We have no fixed home yet, but you can be sure that you will not be welcome there, and you won't be welcome on the way there. Bristlehaze, Willowmist, and Creekstone will escort you back to the Twolegplace, as they are not directly related to any of the deceased." He fixed a glare on the two toms. Spottedpaw could see that he was trying to mask his sadness.

"If any cat of SkyClan ever sees you again, they have my full permission to kill you," Ravenstar finished, his gaze cold. Spottedpaw couldn't read anything in his eyes.

Thornstrike hissed, holding the leader's stare. "Believe me when I say that this is the last you'll see of us. We have no desire to follow you and to live amongst the other Clans."

"Good," Ravenstar snarled.

"Bristlehaze, Willowmist, Creekstone, say your last words to the fallen, then take this slime back across the thunderpath," he instructed.

Spottedpaw watched the three warriors nod and head to the three dead cats. Bristlehaze walked right by Smokestripe, but Willowmist watched the dead tom for a little bit before eventually lying beside him. He had been her sister's mate, after all. Bristlehaze didn't seem to care about his step-brother, but he wasn't exactly the nicest cat in the Clan. Creekstone said a brief goodbye to Smokestripe, taking more time with the other two.

When the three cats were done, they padded back to Scorchwhisker and Thornstrike, forcing them up and forming a half circle around them. They departed from the group of SkyClan cats. Spottedpaw could easily see that the two traitors were quite relaxed while the three Clan cats were tense to the point of bristling.

Once they were out of sight, cats began to file towards the three dead cats. Some ignored Smokestripe, some shared a brief connection with him, while his family stayed close beside him. Spottedpaw could tell Mistpaw looked torn on how to deal with Lionpaw, while Puddlepaw was right beside Spiderpaw at his father's body. Spottedpaw lay beside the gray-and-white tom, pressing her nose into his fur. It was cold, and the she-cat shivered slightly.

_Uh, hi,_ she thought awkwardly. _We never really knew each other that well despite being in the same Clan, but my sisters—my siblings—both are romantically involved with your sons. I don't know any of your family very well, for that matter, though Copperspots was nice enough in the nursery and I guess I sort of know your grandfather, Ravenstar. Wow, that's weird. No, I'm sorry. I hope I haven't offended you. I just don't understand why you'd do such a thing. You killed Fawnstep…_Spottedpaw sighed._ Well, have a nice time, wherever you are._

She sat up, padding away from the tom and lying beside Aspenfrost. He was colder than Smokestripe, and Spottedpaw fluffed up her fur slightly.

_I feel bad not being close to any of the deceased_, she began. _But you were my Clanmate, and I want to say goodbye despite not knowing you too well. I watched you fight Scorchwhisker, and you died nobly in my eyes. I hope StarClan treats you well because you deserve it._

Moving away from the young warrior, she lay down one final time by Fawnstep. She'd known the she-cat better than the other two from frequent the visits to the nursery the medicine cat had made when she was a kit.

_Fawnstep, you're wonderful. Why someone would kill you is beyond me, and I can't believe it happened. I guess its good Thymeheart got his name, or SkyClan would be in a fix, huh?_ Spottedpaw allowed herself a small smile. _It's not really anything to laugh about. I feel really bad. If you can hear this—_Spottedpaw doubted that she could—_could you maybe say hi to Beetlepaw for me…?_

With a sigh, Spottedpaw backed away from the trio of dead cats. Many of the Clan had already finished. When Copperspots, Spiderpaw, and Lionpaw backed away from Smokestripe, Ravenstar cleared his throat from his boulder. The cats turned slowly to look at him.

"Smokestripe, Fawnstep, and Aspenfrost, you were good members of the Clan." Ravenstar paused to let a murmur of disapproval over him calling Smokestripe good pass through the crowd. "It is a shame that we can neither bury you with those who have previously passed from our Clan or with those who have yet to pass in our new home. We will bury you here, where a significant bit in SkyClan history has taken place. Our bodies will move on from where you lie, but you shall forever be remembered in our hearts."

Ravenstar bowed his head, the rest of SkyClan copying him as a morbid air settled around the cats. After many long moments of silence, Spottedpaw heard the sound of pawsteps. She knew that Gingerflight and Smudgenose and stepped forward to take away the bodies and bury them. This was a ceremony the elders always performed, usually alone.

Spottedpaw slid to the ground, resting her head on her paws. _Why would someone do something so awful?_ she despaired. _It doesn't make sense. Nothing seems to make sense anymore. So many awful things have been happening to SkyClan. We lost the gorge, we lost Beetlepaw, we lost Smokestripe and Aspenfrost and Fawnstep at the paws of some of our own, and we haven't even found a new home yet._

_It isn't fair…_


End file.
